News Release
Fillmore Field Office, Utah

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                      Contact: Lisa Reid

Oct. 23, 2019                                                                                                                   (435) 743-3128

BLM postpones Delta wild horse and burro adoption

 

DELTA, Utah – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Fillmore Field Office and the Delta Wild Horse and Burro Facility have postponed the scheduled Nov. 1 adoption due to an upper respiratory disease in some of the horses at the facility. The BLM tested individual animals and the diagnosis indicates Strep Equi (Streptococcus equi) or “strangles.” The BLM has temporarily quarantined the animals from leaving the facility until determining that the horses are no longer contagious.

This disease is highly contagious in horses and spread by infected animals. BLM officials have notified the Utah Department of Agriculture and Utah State Veterinarian of the outbreak. The BLM coordinated testing of the infected animals with the Utah Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

The Delta facility staff began seeing signs of strangles on October 16 within recently gathered horses, and younger animals that had naturally weakened or immature immune systems. No mortality has occurred from the localized outbreak, only clinical signs are being observed at this time. The quarantine will delay the adoption of the highly sought after Onaqui wild horses that were scheduled for adoption on November 1. The BLM has tentatively rescheduled the adoption date to January 2020.

“The BLM takes the health of every wild horse and burro seriously. Facility staff and the contract veterinarian will monitor the Delta facility horses closely. After all signs of infection have passed, the quarantine will be lifted and horses ready for the January adoption,” said Gus Warr, Utah Wild Horse and Burro Program Manager.

For more information on equine distemper (Streptococcus equi), visit:  https://aaep.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Outside%20Linked%20Documents/DiseaseFactsheet-Strep_equi.pdf

Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to leave a message or question for Lisa Reid. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Replies are provided during normal business hours.

 

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In fiscal year 2018, the diverse activities authorized on BLM-managed lands generated $105 billion in economic output across the country. This economic activity supported 471,000 jobs and contributed substantial revenue to the U.S. Treasury and state governments, mostly through royalties on minerals.

-BLM-

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